There are also claims that 1,000 Royal Marines could be made redundant.

The threat to the future of the UK’s amphibious capability comes at a time when major powers such as Russia and China are building up their own amphibious forces, Lieutenant General Sir Robert Fry, former Commandant General of the Royal Marines, told the Commons Defence Select Committee yesterday.

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He said that in a generation from now the amphibious forces would look completely different, with robotic platforms and autonomous ships.

“But unless you remain in the game you can’t expect to go to the next level. If we lose it now, we’ll be out of it for ever.”

Sir Robert said the decade since 9/11 was the most successful in the Royal Marines’ history.

“They then find that the heart is about to be ripped out of the capability that defines them and one in six or seven is going to be made redundant. It is hardly surprising that their morale plummets.”

Members of Plymouth-based 42 Royal Marines Commando in action

He told the committee, on which Plymouth MP Johnny Mercer sits, that by putting the onus on the Services to decide cuts, “Government is abdicating its fundamental responsibilities and offloading the guilt”.

He added: “What we are proposing to do is to take 1,000 of the finest infantry in the world in order to backfill the manning of some capital ships. That is folly.

“The consequence is the emasculation of defence at the top and the bottom.”

Dr Peter Roberts, director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, told MPs on the select committee that it could take decades to rebuild and retrain an effective amphibious force.

He compared the Royal Marines to Achilles’ legendary Myrmidons in the Trojan War.

HMS Bulwark beach landing during a major NATO exercise

Peter Roberts said every forward-thinking military in the world was investing in their amphibious forces.

Major General Julian Thompson, who commanded 3 Commando Brigade in the 1982 Falklands War, highlighted the growing threat from Russia, which had led the Royal Marines to reintroduce Arctic training this year, and Nato to carry out exercises to reinforce Norway from the sea.

He said the Russians watched our amphibious forces “with great interest, and they take it very seriously”.

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Meanwhile, it was reported that talks are being held that could see Royal Marines offered the use of French Navy ships if ministers decide to scrap Britain’s amphibious landing fleet to help save cash.

Two senior French military officials have said France is discussing plans to let the UK’s elite commando unit train and run joint deployments from their three mistral class amphibious landing ships, the Financial Times reported.

However, no formal offer has been made by France – and Britain has not indicated it would want such assistance, sources told The Times.

South West Devon MP Gary Streeter immediately took to Twitter to denounce the idea as “not acceptable” and said it was “not going to happen”.